The present invention relates to an electric contact arrangement with movable contact elements disposed opposite to associated stationary contacts wherein the movable contact elements are supported on a carrier and are biased by means of pressure springs in the direction toward the associated opposite stationary contacts.
Electric contact arrangements such as, for example, contact spring assemblies for relays, frequently employ elastic contact elements which, as a result of the inherent elasticity of the element, store forces and thus can generate a desired contact pressure. For specific applications, however, such as high current relays, longitudinally extended contact springs cannot be used because of the lack of voltage stability associated with such contacts. In these applications, rigid contact elements, which are biased or prestressed by means of associated separate pressure springs, are employed for switching. Such rigid contact elements are used in so-called bridge contact assemblies, wherein generally two stationary opposite contacts are connected by means of a common movable contact bridge during a switching process, in order to maintain relatively large clearances.
The pressure springs utilized in such high current assemblies are generally coil springs which are employed in order to attain a relatively weak spring constant in a narrow space. Such coil springs, for reasons of voltage stability, are customarily arranged in individual chambers of a carrier containing the contact elements, or containing the bridge contacts. This construction requires that not only must a relatively large number of individual parts be manufactured and assembled, but also that for such parts additional special refinements in shape must be undertaken in order to guarantee a satisfactory voltage stability.